Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Since I started this blog at the beginning of this year, I've been learning much....

1. about myself - the blog has actually become a kind of journal about what's going on in my life. It will serve as a great read for me in my later years when memory starts to fail....(ummm...make that in the near future.)

2. technically - I've learnt how to take better photos (still learning), how to upload them here, how to upload videos, how to actually even post a blog entry. All this, I did not know how to do before this year. (see how I've taken a close-up of the fabric above, where you can actually see the texture? Well, I couldn't do that before...so excited!)

3. about the blogworld out there - I've actually become blog pals with a number of people I would not have known otherwise had I not started blogging. I am amazed when a total stranger writes a comment or signs up as a follower and am so touched by that.

4. about people - the many kinds out there. Some are too shy to leave a comment, afraid their English is not good enough (I have Thai, African, Indonesian, Indian readers apart from American, Australian and local readers), some faithfully leave comments because they are amazing encouragers and cool like that. And quite a number are very much like me (phew!) before I learnt all the above...they want to sign up as a follower or leave a comment but don't know how to. And I appreciate that problem! I still appreciate you! So even if you just leave a comment on facebook, I cut and paste it on the blog comment section so they're all in one place. And I try to reply each one.

5. there will always be people who are the pooh-pooh kind, the naysayers, the you-have-too-much-time-on-your-hands kind. But my dear, dear friends, if your life is only about work and doing 'useful' things as you see it, and if you do not have an activity that is simply fun or relaxing, I would be concerned for you...

Because I was so un-enlightened technically (camera, computer), there were many times I wanted to give up. It takes me a long time to actually post an entry because I keep making mistakes - pictures too dark or too small, not knowing how to make adjustments (even to just correct a date that was in the draft!), the words sometimes jumped all over the place after I published an entry and I had to re-do it (though it was fine at draft-time). AND you have to put up with comments from people who think you are doing an activityor going some place just because you want to blog about it! Good heavens.

But readers have personally told me I cheered them up on a blue day, a post touched their heart, or a post made them recall a good memory....and if this blog only gives you a chuckle (like the Just for Laughs section of the Readers Digest, or the comic strip in your newspaper), then I am the one who is blessed.

This blog also keeps me in touch with pals from school days, and friends/relatives who are overseas. And in traffic jammy Kuala Lumpur where it is hard to come together with everyone living busy lives, I am able to still stay connected. Blogs help us share ideas (how to paint ahem...a toilet wall!), recipes, projects, information. In fact, this blog has been therapeutic for me. By disciplining myself to keep it going and not give up, I have found it speaks a lot about me, and to me. Many times I have wanted to simply rant about political and religious views but feel that would serve a different purpose. Maybe in a different blog!

So why have there been random pictures when today's entry is about blogging? Well, I mentioned in my July 10th, 2010 post:Please also remember to sign up as a follower, cos somethin's comin' up!

The "somethin's comin' up" :I wanted to appreciate my signed-up followers by giving each of you a little gift. (The original idea was to make them, but that's not happening..sigh.)

See those floral pouches that have been popping up in the photos? They are the prettiest things! (I had to get some that were not so girlie for my guy followers..hence, the striped ones were added.) You can use them as a purse, a traveller's pouch, a toiletry bag, a make-up case, a stationery pouch, a hold-it-all. I am mailing one to each of you, just to appreciate you.

For those of you I may meet in person, I will hand it to you. For the rest of you, please send me your address and I will mail it to you. Unfortunately, I can't give them to all my readers as I don't know who you actually are, if you haven't signed up as a follower, though I think there are about 150 of you each post (not sure about that). This gift is for the 36 precious ones who are signed up followers (two of you signed up twice accidentally. sorry, you get one!) You get to pick the one you want as long as I still have it (just let me know if you want the Sea Splendour, Beach Beauty, Tropical Glory or Marine Liner). They are about 8inches by 5inches, and...umm...no, you can't have the shoes, skirt or dress.

To all my followers, readers and those who have been leaving comments on facebook, emails or on the blog entry itself, thank you! I have as much fun reading your comments as I have writing a post each time. I really appreciate your responses! Have a happy weekend!

1. Sea Splendour

2. Beach Beauty

3. Tropical Glory

4. Marine Liner

p/s if you're reading my blog, do sign up as a follower if you haven't already (a pouch can come your way if I still have some left over). C'mon, don't be shy. And leave a comment here cos I love to read your comments. They will not appear immediately but they will come to me first, then I have to 'publish' them. And I do try to reply every comment, too. If you read "this comment has been removed", it is not because I didn't like it, but I sometimes mistakenly published the same one twice, so I removed the extra one.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Yah, so my friend makes this French onion dip that we all love. The first time I made it, I followed her recipe (leaving out this and that, if I didn't think it'd be missed), my kids said it wasn't quite right. They don't mincetheir words.

Something you need to know about me and cooking. We don't exactly blend together, y'know?

So I tried it a second time recently, cos we had this party we were going to, where I was told to bring a vegetable dish.

My vegetable dish. Blanched broccoli, raw carrot, celery, and cucumber strips, and cherry tomatoes. To be eaten with Allison's French Onion Dip! (well, technically it's not Allison's but I don't think the French would mind) Drool.

This time the kids (who are my worst cooking critics) said the dip was:

(kids not mentioned in any order)

Kid 1. it's nice! (and tucked into it)Kid 2. it's not the same as Allison's..(and took apprehensivebites)Kid 3. there's something not quite right about it. You put something in there that you're not supposed to...(gulp! Iswallowed - it was detected)

sigh. I had put in so much effort this second time round. I had gone through all the trouble of buying everything right down to the cayenne pepper. Even though it only needed one eighth of a teaspoonful!

But when I was making it, I discovered that I.forgot.the.worcestershire sauce.

No worcestershire sauce? No problem. Like every exasperatingnon-cook expert cook out there, I just improvised (love how that word sounds - kinda like improve + otherwise all rolled up into one word). Worcestershire sauce tastes sourish to me. So I used....coming...wait....hold your heart....

a dash of Japanese sushi vinegar (and all the Japanese say, HAI!)

I don't think the French would mind...I mean, look, I even put up their flag there:

And there you have it. Improvised Worcestershire sauce for Val's French onion dip. The guests at the party didn't think there was anything wrong with it. (and my kids will say, "of course lah, how can they tell the truth?" sheesh.)

Anyway, I found out that, and I quote from wikipedia.org

"The ingredients of a traditional bottle of Worcestershire sauce sold in the UK as "The Original & Genuine Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce" are maltvinegar(from barley), spirit vinegar, molasses, sugar, salt, anchovies, tamarindextract, onions, garlic, spice, and flavouring.[8] The "spice, and flavouring" is believed to include cloves, soy sauce, lemons, pickles and peppers."

So I wasn't that far off whattttt.....I was going to add the recipe here (the Allison one) but I didn't think you'd trust me.

p/s if you're reading my blog, do sign up as a follower if you haven't already. C'mon, don't be shy. And leave a comment here cos I love to read your comments. They will not appear immediately but they will come to me first, then I have to 'publish' them. And I do try to reply every comment, too. If you read "this comment has been removed", it is not because I didn't like it, but I sometimes mistakenly published the same one twice, so I removed the extra one.